Da-Ka-Ji
by Harmony Malen
Summary: There's a new Millenium Duelist in town, and she almost beat Yu-Gi! Is there room for two Millenium goodies in Duel Monsters? Find out: r&r!
1. Chapter I

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! By any means at all blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda. You know the drill. Oh, and Da-Ka is pronounced Day-Kuh  
  
A teen-age boy was running as fast as possible down a suburban street. He kept glancing fleetingly at the house numbers.  
  
"Let's see…17…18…19…20…almost there! Just three more houses to go!"  
  
Inside of the house marked "23" a pretty teen-age girl looked anxiously out the window. Oh! Where is he? My parents will be home soon and if they knew I was still playing…her thoughts trailed off.  
  
At that moment, there was a knock at the door. The girl raced to the door and flung it open to reveal the boy, grinning, on her front step.  
  
"David! You made it!" She said happily.  
  
"I sure did!" David said. But his grin fell and his eyes opened from that grinning squint all anime grins come with. (You know: ^_^) "But let me tell you, Da-Ka" he continued. "The 'burbs ain't as small as some people say. I'm out of breath and my legs feel like cement blocks! That aside, is it safe? Do we Duel?"  
  
A determined glint came to Da-Ka's eyes. "We Duel!" She said defiantly.  
  
David grinned and the two friends raced up to Da-Ka's room to play their favorite card game: Duel Monsters!  
  
Da-Ka slid a Duel Monsters Game Board out from underneath her bed, then she removed her deck of cards from its hiding place in a hollow book. The most ancient and mystifying book on Da-Ka's shelf.  
  
David had already removed his cards from his shirt pocket and was in the process of shuffling them. Da-Ka did the same. They simultaneously set their decks on the board in the assigned place. David made the challenge.  
  
"It's time to Duel!" He yelled forcefully.  
  
Since David made the challenge, Da-Ka made the first move.  
  
Da-Ka took up a hand. A smile played at her features, and she narrowed her eyes in the classic Duel Monsters glare.  
  
"I choose the Angel of Faith!" She called, placing her card, vertically, on the board. "In attack mode!"  
  
David looked at his own hand and gave a snigger. But before he could make a move, Da-Ka called out again.  
  
"But, I also equip her with Elfin Light and Ancient Armor! That raises her attack points by nine hundred points, raising it to an even three thousand points!" (A/N Sorry if I messed up on the points, I have a crummy memory and it's been hours since I saw the episode with those cards)  
  
David didn't waver. He pulled the glare and set his own attack.  
  
"Then I chose the spirit card Yokon! I also equip him with the magic card Ghostly Shadow! Ghostly Shadow engulfs my Yokon and raises his attack points by six hundred, bringing him up to thirty-one hundred."  
  
Da-Ka's eyes widened. She had forgotten about those cards, they were two of David's favorites.  
  
"Yokon's Deathly Grip attack brings your super-angel crashing down and lowers your life points by five hundred!"  
  
The counter David had rigged on the board spun down to 1500 on Da-Ka's side.  
  
Da-Ka quickly recovered and looked at her deck. A few magic cards was all she had. She reached for the deck, trusting the cards to give her a winner.  
  
She looked at the card she had drawn and let out a quick laugh. It was Kija, the Psychic reader. His attack points were already 3000, but with the magic card Crystal Orb that rested in her hand, she raised his points to 3500. She swiftly countered, eliminating David's spirit card.  
  
For an hour the Duelists went on like that, each one outwitting the other with magic and trap cards. Oblivious to their talent. It came down to the score of 700 on both sides of the counter.  
  
David was on the ropes. His only choice was to trust his deck to give him a true warrior card. He reached and drew the card. A smirk came to his lips.  
  
"It's over Da-Ka! I've drawn the card that will end this duel, no magic card needed! I draw, the Crimson Warlord!"  
  
A red-armored figure was depicted on the card, swinging a mace above his head.  
  
Da-Ka didn't even flinch. She was formulating a plan.  
  
"You're wrong David! I call… the Lightning Stallion!"  
  
"You call that a play?!" David cried. "The Lightning Stallion is pitiful for attack! The only thing it's good for is its powerful defense!"  
  
"Exactly! And your Crimson Warlord's defense is more pitiful than my Stallion's attack! Which is why I play the magic card: Sword and Shield!"  
  
David drew back in fear, mouth agape emitting terrified sounds. (think Joey against Kaiva)  
  
"That's right Dave! The Sword and Shield switches attack with defense on both my Stallion, and your Warlord, Which means I have a 1200 point attack and you now have a pitiful 300 attack. And with my Lightning Stallion's Thunder Strike attack, I have just obliterated your Crimson Warlord and your life points!"  
  
David let out a scream. He had worked really hard to create a strategy that would make his deck invincible in this match.  
  
But he cooled down and shrugged it off. "Oh well, good game. I guess you just get better every time I duel ya."  
  
Da-Ka gave him a smile and removed her cards from the board. David did the same.  
  
"Oh no!" Cried Da-Ka, looking at the clock. "My parents got home ages ago!"  
  
Indeed, for the past half hour, Da-Ka's mom and dad had been listening to the duel from outside of the bedroom door. They almost fell over when Da-Ka flung the door open.  
  
"Mom! Dad! I can explain!"  
  
Her parents glared down at her, the daughter they had forbidden to play Duel Monsters three months ago.  
  
Da-Ka and David looked at the floor, awaiting their punishment.  
  
Mr. Yishi, Da-Ka's dad, opened his mouth to speak. 


	2. Chapter II

Da-Ka and David shrunk from under Mr. Yishi's piercing glare. He was breathing heavily and his face was red.  
  
"I didn't want to believe it. I thought I could trust you Da-Ka. But the phone calls, and the letters and now… I am so disappointed in you Da- Ka."  
  
The young duelist cast her eyes to the floor. She had done her best to keep the fact that she still played Duel Monsters, but the fact that so many kids sent her letters and called her for tips on how to win at the popular card game had caught up with her. Her father had found out and now she had to pay the price.  
  
Da-Ka's mother put a soothing had on Mr. Yishi's arm. "Now Joseph. Please don't overreact to this. If she wishes to play that silly game then I say let her. She doesn't hurt anyone. And she is responsible enough to know what not to do and what little clubs not to join."  
  
Mr. Yishi didn't let up. "That's not the point Kathleen! I expressly forbid her to play that game, I don't want to lose her to those fanatics that throw away their lives just to put a piece of cardboard over a circuit board. I don't want her to neglect school and her real responsibilities like those fools on the street do! And I NEVER WANT TO SEE THAT NO ACCOUNT PIECE OF FILFTH IN MY HOUSE AGAIN!" He was yelling now, and pointing a savage finger at David.  
  
The boy shrunk back. He was well aware of how much Joseph Yishi despised him. He was after all a pure bred street kid. His parents had been divorced for as long as he could remember and when his mother died he and his dad had no more means of cash flow. David wore scruffy looking clothes and his hair was sleeked back in the classic "tough guy" look. A cloth band with the Japanese symbol for "fight" was stretched across his forehead and tied at the back of his head, slightly tucked under the short strands of jet- black hair. His narrow eyes made him look even more like a street fighter, and indeed he had gotten a reputation for being one of the best "kick-butt" fighters in town. No wonder Da-Ka's father despised him.  
  
But that was the last straw for Da-Ka, she had had enough of her father's insults.  
  
"How dare you say that daddy?! How dare you insult my friend like that to his face?! I can't believe that just because he doesn't have it as good as we do you would dare to judge him! I can't believe you and I wish I wasn't your daughter! Come on David!" And with that she grabbed her friend's arm and her deck of cards and huffed down the stairs, her face a mask of fury.  
  
Joseph stood, dumbfounded, outside of the now empty room. It wasn't the first time his daughter had used her way with words to put him into a stupor. He cut a comical figure, standing with his eyes and mouth wide open, a large anime sweatdrop beside his head.  
  
His wife spoke absently, staring after her daughter. "Where do you think that came from?"  
  
Joseph sulked and in a weak voice responded: "Reminds me of my mother- in-law." His face and slumped stance didn't change. After a second they both fell into the exasperated faint.  
  
Meanwhile, downstairs, Da-Ka was inspecting an official looking letter that had been angrily torn from the envelope. From the tattered remains of the paper, she could make out that the letter was addressed to both her and David. They read it in awed silence before dropping it and turning to each other and embracing in a way only the best of friends could: Complete with shrieks of excitement and jumping for joy.  
  
The letter was a formal invite that went a little something like this:  
  
Dear Miss Yishi and Mr. Kargen:  
  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to participate in the upcoming Duel Monsters tournament in the Duelist Kingdom. We at the Duel Monsters company have been observing your outstanding performances in the local contests, and believe your skills will be a delightful addition to the Duel Monsters universe. With this letter is the package containing your gloves and star chips, we look forward to seeing you on the island soon. Till then, ta-ta.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Isaac Griffon  
  
Assistant to Mr. Pegasus  
  
The two friends eagerly tore at the package left on the table. In it they found two red gloves with white cuffs containing ten star-shaped holes, and four golden chips, shaped to fit the slots in the gloves. They pulled on the gloves, and placed two star chips each in their cuffs. Da-Ka gave David a meaningful look and he nodded. If they were getting out, this was the way. Da-Ka scribbled a note to her parents on the back of the invitation, and bolted out the door just as the adults were coming down the stairs.  
  
Mr. Yishi saw the door slam shut and ran to the window to see his only daughter and the street kid he loathed darting down the street at a speed he could never match.  
  
Joseph raced to the letter on the coffee table and read aloud: "Dear Mom and Dad, I'm sorry but I can't take the confinement you have put me in and so have gone to the Duel Monsters tournament in the Duelist Kingdom. I will be back before school starts again but please do not expect me to return for the rest of the summer. Love: Da-Ka"  
  
He crumpled the note in anger and sorrow, he knew he had pushed too hard this time. He slumped to the couch and joined his wife in weeping after their rebellious daughter. Neither of them thought to call the police, they knew Da-Ka would not be brought back. 


End file.
